New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-21
HOUSES FILLED WITH GAS
MANY FAMILIES NEARLY sUFFoCATED.
ONE BOY INJURED BY AN ExPLosIoN-soME OF
THE NARROW ESCAPES.

ONE BOY INJURED BY AN ExPLosIoN-soME OF
THE NARROW ESCAPES.
Gas from broken street main leaked into the teue-
nent-houses No. I621 1924 and Sc Second ave.
on Tuesday night and endangered the lives OF the
ants 1t filed the cellar OF the house the west eide
of the avenue, No. 1921, before 10 o'clock at which
time its presence there was emphasized by expo-
sion. Roun1sman Griffin of the East Eighty nth
Street. Police lives the house. Mrs. Griffin sent her
son William, age twelve. down to the cellar with
pail Of ashes IL dark in the &C lar and the boy
struck match to light his way to the ash-pit. The
explosion followed Instantly. Young Griffin was
knocked down and his hair and clothes took fire.
When other tenants dragged him out and exnguished
the flames he had been burned so seriously that his
life was believed to be 10 danger The explosion
caused much excitement in the house and the tenants
about searching for leak in the supply pipe in
the cellar Is it was evident that gas escaping,
bat the leak not found Some one opened cellar
window aud thus prevented further trouble in that
house.
Occupants of the two houses on the east side OF the
did not have any warning oil their danger be-
tore they went to sleep. j. Schwartz keeps a pro-
vision store the fret floor OF No. 1.624 and has
llving-rooms in the rear Isaac Meyers barber shop
is the frat floor of No. 1626 and the rooms back
vi it have been occupied by Mrs. Caroline MoGeery,
widow. and her two half grown sons Henry Bauer.
yonng German In the employ OF Meyer, slept In the
barber SHOP Painters haa been AT work IN the shop on
Tues lay. and the smell OF fresh paint was offensive
~ Bauer that he placed pail OF water at the side Of
bis cot before he went to Sleep thinking to destroy
OF the smell in that way. The gas from the
cellars of the two houses through the floors filed
the first story before midnight.
Mrs. Schwartz awOke from q heavy slet at 1890
yesterday to hear her baby crying and coughing
hen she tried TO get up she too day aud weak
to walk and she aroused hsr husband. Schwartz
reeed ike a drunken man abO 1t the room tor few
before he could collect bis dazed Senses aud
comprehend the trouble. HIS wife fell fainting the
floor Fortunately he did not attempt to strike a
light. The that gas suHocatng him
and his family nerved HIM to sudden energy. He
seized hold Of his ianting wife aud dragged her INTO
the back yard. Then he went back and took out the
baby along with lot OF bed clothes, and shouted 10
the tenants up stairs. Mrs. Schwartz soon revived in
the open Her neighbors In the house responded
to her husbands calls for help with much tard ness
and all of them complained OF headache. Enough gas
had gOue upstairs to make the occupants OF dozen
rooms stupid. Ii there had been warning before
daylight several families would have be'n suhocated
While the tenants OF No. 1,624 we're congratulaiing
themselves their lucky escape troiu sudden death
Mrs. Schwartz. whose timely warning had saved
them. remarked that the cellar OF the house was con-
nected with that of No. 1926 She asked her husba nd
to inquire tor Mrs No Geery He went to the door OF
Mrs. McGeery's rooms and knocked but there was 40
response until he pounded the door several min
utes. Mrs. McGeery managed to crawl 70 the door
Her two sons who had not been distuI bel by the
knocking carried out into the yard with her.
The boys revived, but their mother remained n-
sensible. Occupants OF rooms up stairs threw open
over them in their sleep. Thew atterward Joined in
the efforts to restore Mrs. Mcjeery consciousness
policeman called and he summoned ambu-
lance. Some happened to remember that Bauer
open it Bauer found senseless his and the
shop full of gas that the men "ho carried hin
out were halt choked The ambulance carried Bauer
and Mrs. McGeery to the Presbyterian Hospital